Category Archives: Hangover Remedies

How to Deal with Suboxone Withdrawal

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How to Deal with Suboxone Withdrawal

What is Suboxone?

Suboxone is a prescription medication that contains both buprenorphine
 and naloxone. Both of these drugs are often given to addicts recovering from opiate addiction. Suboxone helps addicts overcome any drug cravings, thereby assisting them in the recovery process. Doctors should slowly taper the dosage of suboxone until you no longer need it to cope with the consequences of drug addiction.

The buprenorphine found in Suboxone is similar to what is found in other opiates, like morphine and heroin. As an opiate, buprenorphine can cause your body to become physically dependent on the drug, so when you suddenly discontinue suboxone, it will cause your body to undergo withdrawal. Withdrawal is your body’s way of attempting to recover from excessive drug use. Suboxone withdrawal can range from mild symptoms to serious, possible life-threatening effects.

Signs and symptoms of withdrawal:

  • Uncharacteristic irritability or agitation
  • Anxiety
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Profuse sweating
  • Excessive tears
  • Runny nose
  • Frequent yawning

However, these symptoms are usually overlooked and may be passed off as symptoms of the flu or other mild diseases.

How to deal with Suboxone Withdrawal

I don’t know. Coffee, ibuprofen, lots of water, natural sleeps aids such as melatonin, hot baths, massage?

As a recovering opiate addict, I tried both a methadone maintenance and suboxone (at different times in my addiction). And quite honestly, the withdrawal sucks. That is totally an understatement.

Some years ago, I kicked methadone. Cold turkey. Not recommended. I stayed away from opiates for a little while but, soon enough, I was back at it. I thought the pain and discomfort of kicking for over a month would be enough to keep me from going down that road again. So, when things got bad again, I decided to get on suboxone. I don’t deny that this can be helpful when detoxing from other opiates (yes other because, after all, suboxone does contain an opiate called buprenorphine). But it is meant to be used short term, as in a week at the most, and with a rapid taper. There will be some discomfort at the end, but nowhere near what it’s like to go cold turkey.

While I was researching suboxone for the purpose of writing this blog and time and time again, I kept finding “information” which stated that, if tapered off of suboxone, you won’t experience any withdrawal symptoms and that if you do, you only think you do; it’s all mental. That’s plain old bullshit. I was on a very low dose of suboxone when I decided to go to treatment. I was taking maybe 4mg a day for the last several months of my active addiction. I tried to taper myself completely but the withdrawals came, and with a vengeance. I could not face suboxone withdrawal again. My solution was going into a medical detox and inpatient program.

If you are facing suboxone withdrawal, you may want to consider doing what I did. There are programs that specialize in suboxone detox that can assist you in the process with very little discomfort.

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Is “Blowfish” the ultimate hangover cure?

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Is blowfish the ultimate hangover pill?

Have a little too much to drink last night? You aren’t alone. “How to cure a hangover” is one of the most Googled phrases of 2012. Recently, some smart product developers have stepped in and created products to meet that demand. Since this past New Years, the market has been flooded with products that are said to either cure or prevent a hangover.

Is “Blowfish” the ultimate hangover cure? What is “Blowfish”?

Blowfish tablets combine aspirin, caffeine and an antacid into an Alka-Seltzer-like effervescent tablet. A two-tablet dose of Blowfish (which is what the makers recommend for a typical hangover) contains 1,000 milligrams of aspirin and 120 milligrams of caffeine, which are equivalent of two extra strength aspirin and three shots of espresso. Blowfish was developed to fight the most common symptoms of a hangover: headache, fatigue, and upset stomach. Many hangover cure seekers wish to get these cures delivered to the office or other places where discretion is important. Responding to this demand, Blowfish Tablets are packaged in plain manila envelopes.

Is “Blowfish” the ultimate hangover cure? How does it work?

Caffeine, aspirin, and antacids have longed been used to treat hangovers. Caffeine has been clinically shown to react against the chemical compounds of ethanol. Alcohol consumption causes a buildup of acetate, which is what produces a headache the next morning. Caffeine has been shown to reduce the amount of acetate in the system. Caffeine can also fight the fatigue that generally accompanies hangovers.

Aspirin is also a common hangover cure. Alcohol is thought to trigger an inflammatory response – a process blocked by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin. The inflammatory response is similar to the body’s defense against flu, and is linked to lethargy.

The chemicals produced by the body to break alcohol down are hard on the stomach. This often causes nausea or sour stomach the morning after. An antacid can help mitigate these effects.

Is “Blowfish” the ultimate hangover cure? Is it effective?

Certainly the combination of aspirin, caffeine and an antacid can help the symptoms of a hangover, but the only real cure for a hangover is time. It’s unclear whether Blowfish, which contains acetylsalicylic acid and citric acid — both of which could diminish some of its stomach-soothing effects — is better than the age-old hangover remedy: aspirin and a cup of coffee.

Unfortunately, science has yet to come up with an “ultimate hangover cure.” The best they can do is to provide some relief by treating the symptoms. There is some action you can take however, to prevent a hangover. These include drinking a lot of water (a full glass for every alcoholic drink). Also, eating a meal before a night of drinking has been shown effective. The food slows the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. Finally, you can prevent a hangover by simply not drinking as quickly-no more than one drink an hour. This gives your body the time it needs to fully process the alcohol and prevents the build-up of alcohol metabolites that are responsible for a hangover.

Sources:

http://www.emaxhealth.com/8782/blowfish-hangover-buyer-beware

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2011/12/06/blowfish-for-hangovers-cure-or-red-herring/

http://forhangovers.com/pages/believe

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

3 Ways to Cure a Hangover

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3 Ways to Cure a Hangover

Hangovers call for a cure. Hangovers are the unpleasant side effect of having too much of a good time the night before. Enter in headache, nausea, possible vomiting, fatigue and severe dehydration and you now need to find a way to feel better. You may or may not know the way to cure a hangover. Luckily for you there are plenty of hangover cures out there to take care of those morning after blues and they actually are fairly simple. Here are 3 ways to cure a hangover:

Ways to cure a hangover: Seltzer Morning Relief

Seltzer morning relief is a special form of Alka-Seltzer made for curing a hangover. Seltzer morning relief promotes itself as fast acting formula that gets rid of the most common symptoms associated with a hangover such as headache and fatigue. This would make sense because the two active ingredients in Seltzer Morning Relief are caffeine and aspirin. These two ingredients actually have been shown to make hangovers worse. But that is not what Seltzer Morning Relief says. Seltzer morning relief also promotes itself as being a maximum strength pain reliever that is gentle on your stomach and will give you a burst of energy to get you up and moving again.

Ways to cure a hangover: Water

Water makes up over half of what your body is made of. And when you drink too much you dehydrate it of essential vitamins, water, and nutrients it needs to keep you feeling well and healthy. Water as a hangover cure is your new best friend. The best way to use water to cure a hangover is to drink a few glasses while you are actually drinking. But don’t worry if you forgot to do that. The next morning when your hangover is hitting you hard just find a clean cup, fill it with some good old H2O and drink half the glass and relax. Drink as much water as you want just make sure to drink it slowly. Eventually with water as a hangover cure you will begin to feel better.

Ways to cure a hangover: Sleep

After water; sleep is your second best friend. Because your body has been working so hard to process all the alcohol from the night before and because you have dehydrated yourself of essential nutrients and vitamins to keep you energized you are going to feel fatigued. This is where sleep comes in. Sleeping off a hangover is literally one of the most fool proof and effective ways to deal with a hangover. If you have to work in the morning then maybe use the water and seltzer morning relief but if you have the chance to sleep than take it. Nothing is going to cure a hangover like letting your body rest from the chaos and havoc you put it through the night before. Sleep until you are ready to wake up and keep that handy glass of water nearby and you will be right as rain in just a few hours.

Whatever you are using to cure a hangover just makes sure to let your body rest. Sleep and water are really the only two realistic options for a hangover cure that don’t actually wreak more havoc on your body. So drink up, water we mean and get some sleep!

Sources:

http://hangoverschool.com/water-hangover-cure/

http://www.alka-seltzer.com/asmr/introducing.htm

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Hangover Remedies: Exercise

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Hangover Remedies: Exercise

Hangover Remedies: Exercise

Although it may be the last thing you feel like doing when you have a hangover, experts say that light exercise can act as a good hangover remedy. While exercise won’t cure a hangover, they may be able to alleviate some of your worst symptoms. Exercise can also release endorphins, which are the body’s “feel good” chemicals, and can make you feel better after a long night of drinking. Finally, exercise promotes restful sleep, something that is very important when recovering from a hangover.

While exercising, it’s important that you hydrate your body properly. Alcohol can have a dehydrating effect on your body, which means you could suffer from exercise-induced dehydration more quickly than normal. Keep a water bottle nearby and drink at least 7 to 10 oz. of water every 10 to 20 minutes that you exercise. You’ll also want to continue drinking water throughout the day to help reduce your hangover symptoms

Hangover Remedies: Exercise: Stretching/Yoga

For some people, the worst part of a hangover are the aching, stiff muscles. There are two main reasons why legs pain after too much of alcohol consumption. One, alcohol intake increases the content of lactic acid in your body. Excessive buildup of lactic acid in your body can lead to cramps or pain in your muscles. Two, alcohol leads to dehydration. Your body ends up falling short on electrolytes, and you tend to experience muscle pain or cramps. Stretching and/or yoga can make you feel better. Experts recommend light yoga poses or stretching. “Hot” yoga can dehydrate your body, making hangover symptoms worse.  The use of props like eye pillows, bolsters and blocks can be particularly helpful to anyone with a hangover, along with drinking plenty of water before and after the session. Twisting stretches or poses can increase blood flow and improve digestion, which can shorten the length of a hangover.

Hangover Remedies: Exercise: Walking/Light Jogging

Going for a brisk walk or light jog can help ease hangover symptoms by getting your blood pumping and speeding your metabolism. Alcohol is broken down in the liver first to acetaldehyde, then to harmless acetic acid. Your body requires another chemical, glutathione, to break down acetaldehyde into acetic acid and clear it from your body.  The problem is that when you drink a LOT of alcohol, you run out of glutathione and are stuck with the toxic acetaldehyde in your system while your liver makes more glutathione Acetaldehyde is the main chemical that is responsible for the symptoms of a hangover. It is more toxic to the body than the alcohol itself. The increase in metabolism will help your body get rid of the toxins that have caused the hangover and recover more quickly.

Hangover Remedies: Exercise: Swimming

Swimming has the same metabolic benefits as walking or jogging, but in a swimming pool, you are less likely to become overheated. In addition, the sudden splash of cool water can give you a rush of adrenaline, which raises your tolerance for the hangover’s effect. Immersing yourself in a body of water can make you feel refreshed and rejuvenated. Sometimes, just getting out in the sun can take your mind off the hangover for a while.

Source:

http://lifehackery.com/2008/12/11/nine-ways-to-deal-with-a-hangover/

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/01/too-much-to-drink-try-yoga/

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

5 Holistic Remedies for Your Hangover

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5 Holistic Remedies for Your Hangover

A hangover is your body’s way of letting you know you may have had a little too much fun last night. Unfortunately once you reach the point of a hangover there is no going back no matter how much you wish you could. That extra beer or shot doesn’t seem worth it now but yet here you are. Hangovers feel awful, they are very similar to being sea sick; there is the fatigue, dehydration, pounding headache and in some cases severe nausea. Depending on how hung over you are there may even be some dizziness going on. This is all because your body has been depleted of essential vitamins and it has been wracked with alcohol. Luckily there are some holistic remedies for your hangover that can have you feeling better in no time. Here are 5 holistic remedies for your hangover:

1. Holistic remedies for your hangover: Bananas and Ginger

Bananas are full of potassium, potassium that while you were drinking and using the bathroom was leaving your body rapidly. Eating a banana will replenish your body with the essential vitamin potassium giving you some energy to beat the fatigue. Ginger is an old holistic remedy for hangovers. In fact ginger was used to treat nausea and seasickness for a long time. If you want to conquer your nausea ginger is the best bet.

2. Holistic remedies for your hangover: Honey and Lemons

Honey and lemons with a little bit of hot water can help to replenish lost fluids and sugars due to a long night of drinking. Your body has a hangover because it has lost a lot of its essential sugars and fluids due to drinking. Honey can help because it contains fructose which competes for the metabolism of alcohol. Competition is needed since the rapid change in alcohol levels is what has caused your headache.

3. Holistic remedies for your hangover: Water

Water works well to help with just about anything including a hangover. Drinking water is by far the best cure for a hangover to date. This is because dehydration can wreak havoc on the body and is the reason for most of the symptoms that come along with a hangover. Drinking water, whether it is carbonated, tap water or a filtered bottle of Dasani, is the best holistic hangover remedy there is. Drink more than the average eight glasses a day while recovering from a hangover.

4. Holistic remedies for your hangover: Sports drinks and Juice

Juice especially if it is freshly squeezed orange juice can help to raise blood sugar levels which in turn can help to ease some of the discomfort due to a hangover. If you are nauseous it is probably best to skip the acidic juices though and stick with a sports drink. Sports drinks are easy on the stomach and contain lots of electrolytes to replenish some of the vitamins your body is missing right now. Any sports drink with electrolytes will help with your hangover.

5. Holistic remedies for your hangover: Rice, Toast and Soups

Usually when you have a hangover the last thing you want to do is eat but eating can be a good thing if it is the right kind of food. Food will give you some sustenance for energy. Staying away from solid foods and sticking with clear liquids such as chicken noodle soup is the best bet early into your hangover. Later on if you can handle solid food, move onto something like toast or rice that will be easy on the stomach.

There is not fool proof holistic remedy for your hangover but there are some ways to ease the discomfort by giving your body what it is so dearly missing. A late night of drinking can wreak some havoc on the body so if you find yourself with a hangover do the right thing and just stick with what works and is easy on the body which is mainly a good amount of sleep and some tall glasses of water.

Sources:

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-hangovers4.htm

http://www.feminiya.com/5-home-remedies-to-cure-the-hangover-blues

http://www.cure-hangovers.com/home-remedies-for-hangovers.html

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

How To Prevent a Hangover

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How To Prevent a Hangover

How to prevent a hangover: Planning

Almost anyone who drinks on a regular basis has experienced a wicked hangover at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, the only sure fire way to prevent a hangover is to abstain from alcohol. If you’re not ready to do that, there are some steps you can take that may stave off the worst of it the next morning:

How to prevent a hangover: Drink Limit

Obviously, the less you drink, the less likely you are to have a hangover the next morning. Everyone is different when it comes to alcohol-some people get a hangover after only one or two drinks and others can drink all night without any ill effects. However, a good rule of thumb to prevent a hangover is to limit yourself to one drink an hour. Most people’s body’s eliminate alcohol at this rate, so sticking to this schedule is a good way to prevent a hangover. Also, drink no more than five drinks in one evening.

How to prevent a hangover: Drink Water

One of the major causes of hangover symptoms is dehydration. Alcohol decreases a hormone called vasopressin. This is known as the anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) because when it is released in the blood stream, it prevents your body from excreting water in your urine. When it is suppressed from drinking alcohol, your body loses more water in urine. The effect is so strong that for every pint of beer you drink, you can lose up to four pints of water. To prevent a hangover, drink one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you have.

How to prevent a hangover: Eat Something

The worst thing you can do is to drink on an empty stomach. Having a filling meal you start drinking is a great way to prevent a hangover. The food in your stomach will slow the absorption of alcohol in your blood stream. Even if you only have a snack before going out, some food is better than no food.

How to prevent a hangover: Order on the Rocks

Ordering a drink “on the rocks” not only fills your glass with ice so you are forced to drink more slowly, but it can also prevent a hangover if you take care to chew all the ice before you move on to the next drink. The ice also melts as long as you don’t drink too slowly, watering down the drink and thus the amount of alcohol you are ingesting with each sip.

How to prevent a hangover: Avoid Shots and Mixing

When you do shots, you have a whole drink’s worth of alcohol in the space of a few seconds. This means that your system could be overloaded and not be able to break the alcohol down as efficiently as it would if you had the same amount of alcohol over a longer period of time. You also may be tempted to drink more. To prevent a hangover, stick with drinks that you can sip on throughout the night.

Mixing drink types is also a big no-no if you want to prevent a hangover. Staying with one type of alcohol will ensure that you’re not mixing up various additives, flavorings, and other elements in different types of alcohol, which can all increase the chance that you’ll wake up with a hangover.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

International Hangover Cures

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International Hangover Cures

The word “hangover” may be different in different languages, but the symptoms of hangovers are universal: Headache, upset stomach, and thirstiness.  The discovery of alcoholic brews dates back to ancient times, so it’s a safe bet that the discovery of the hangover was not far behind. Enter the hangover cure. Every culture has them. Some work, some don’t, and some have the potential to make you sicker than you were in the first place. Here are some hangover cures from around the world:

International Hangover Cures: Heat

These remedies employ heat, both internal and external, to sweat out toxins and distract from hangover symptoms. In Russia, many people head for the sauna, hoping to “sweat out” the alcohol. Other cultures use spicy food, which draws attention away from uncomfortable hangover symptoms. In Romania, the go-to dish is a spicy tripe soup. Keep in mind that there is no evidence that heat cures a hangover, and saunas can be dangerous when you are already dehydrated from overindulging the night before.

International Hangover Cures: Heavy Food

Many cultures use heavy meals to help treat a sour stomach. It can calm the stomach and give you a much needed boost of energy. The British in particular subscribe to this type of hangover cure, and recommend a full, English breakfast the morning after drinking too much.

International Hangover Cures: Sour food

Many cultures believe that eating a salty, sour food like pickled herring (in Northern Europe), a glass of juice from sour pickles (Poland) or umeboshi (in Japan) can restore electrolytes and encourage drinking of more water.

International Hangover Cures: Hair of the dog

It’s likely that ever since there have been hangover cures; there have been those that think drinking more alcohol should help. While research shows that this simply delays recovery, many cultures have developed alcoholic drinks meant to cure a hangover.

Do any of these “cures” actually work? Probably not. In 2005, researchers scoured studies as far back as the 1950’s that addressed preventing or treating hangovers. They found just eight that warranted a closer look, and none of the eight could convincingly demonstrate success for their hangover cure.

This doesn’t mean that you need to be miserable all day, however. Just realize that nothing besides time will really “cure” a hangover. If you want to take the edge off and speed recovery time a little, here are some tricks that may help:

1. Drink lots of water: Alcohol dehydrates you, which makes you dizzy and lightheaded, replenishing that fluid is essential for recovery. Also, drinks containing ginger, like ginger ale and ginger tea can settle your stomach at the same time.

2. Stay away from coffee (and booze): Caffeine will further dehydrate you and aggravate your symptoms. Likewise, as mentioned above, alcohol just numbs the symptoms, making them worse when it wears off.

3. Eat but don’t binge: Crackers and toast can boost your blood sugar, giving you more energy, as can bananas (which can replace electrolytes lost while drinking), but a big meal can make you feel even more nauseous.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-strangest-hangover-cures

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Best Hangover Foods

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Best Hangover Foods

Best Hangover Foods

Hangovers are the worst! Waking up with a dry mouth, pounding headache, and aching muscles can ruin anyone’s day. And while the only “cure” for a hangover is prevention, there are some things you can do to feel better. Here is a list of the best hangover foods:

Best Hangover Foods: Soup or broth

Let’s face it, when you have a hangover, sometimes you don’t feel like eating ANYTHING. Just the mention of food will make your stomach turn. So you don’t eat, and you end up feeling worse! This is because a drop in blood sugar will exacerbate the symptoms of a hangover. You end up feeling more tired and even more nauseous. It helps to get something on your stomach, even if you can’t handle a whole meal. This is why soup is one of the best hangover foods. It’s easy on the stomach and it contains a lot of water which will help rehydrate you after a night of drinking. Plus, chicken and some vegetables contain cysteine, which give the liver a much-needed boost.

Best Hangover Foods: Bacon Sandwich

If your stomach is feeling a little better, you may be able to handle the classic hangover remedy: the bacon sandwich. Bacon contains a lot of protein, which breaks down into amino acids. One particular type of amino acid, amine, has been shown to be effective in clearing your head after a night of partying.  Binging on alcohol depletes your store of amino acids, so the bacon in the bacon sandwich is a big part of what makes it one of the best hangover remedies.

Bread is great because it contains a lot of carbohydrates. It not only can absorb some of the acid in your stomach when you wake up with a hangover, it also gives you a boost of energy.

Best Hangover Foods: Smoothies

Smoothies, like soup, are one of the best hangover foods if you have an upset stomach. They are sweet and filling and go down very easily. The fruit in the smoothie will provide a bunch of vitamins and a much needed surge in blood sugar. Vitamins are important because often alcohol has a diuretic effect on the body and we lose many essential vitamins during a night of hard drinking. A smoothie will also help coat the stomach and hopefully reduce any nausea or acid reflux you may be feeling.

Best Hangover Foods: Oatmeal

Oats are also easy to digest. Plus, a hot bowl of oatmeal has plenty of essential nutrients like B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and iron. Oats can help neutralize acids in the body and raise blood sugar levels, giving you an instant energy boost.

Whatever you end up eating to treat a hangover, be sure that you are also drinking plenty of fluids. Some of the worst hangover symptoms come as a result of dehydration. If you remember, drink a full glass before you even fall asleep the night before, and you’ll find out that your hangovers are much more manageable.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Hangover First Aid

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hangover first aid

Hangovers are nasty business. Whether we want to or not, we all end up having a little too much to drink sometimes. We wake up in the morning with a pounding head, parched mouth and upset stomach-the price we pay for overindulging. While nothing can cure a hangover besides time, there is some hangover first aid you can do to treat the symptoms.

Hangover First Aid: Food

Eating something as soon as you wake up can help with your stomach upset and overall lack of energy. Foods that contains fat and protein seems to help the most, so make yourself a plate of bacon, eggs and toast. Bacon contains a lot of protein, which breaks down into amino acids. One particular type of amino acid, amine has been shown to be effective in clearing your head after a night of partying.  Binging on alcohol depletes your store of amino acids, and eating bacon can replenish some of what you lost. Eggs are also a good source of protein. Bread is great because it contains a lot of carbohydrates. It not only can absorb some of the acid in your stomach when you wake up with a hangover, it also gives you a boost of energy.

Hangover First Aid: Liquids

If your stomach can’t handle food, drink a glass or two of juice or a sports drink. Follow it up with a couple glasses of water. Many hangover symptoms are caused by dehydration. You’re body loses a lot of fluids and other nutrients during a night of drinking. Drinking a lot of water, juice, or other sports drinks can help you replenish some of what you lost. Steer clear of acidic juices, like orange, as acidic juices can sometimes exacerbate a sour stomach. Sports drinks can help replenish electrolytes, as well as hydrating your body.

Hangover First Aid: Rest

Many of the hangover symptoms you experience are made worse by lack of rest. Usually when you overindulge, you also stay out much later than you normally do. Rest is an integral part of hangover first aid. Rest gives your body the time it needs to restore itself. After you eat and drink, pull the blinds and climb back into bed. By the time you wake up, you should be feeling much better. For an added benefit-take an OTC pain killer like Tylenol or Advil. It will help with any aches and pains you may be feeling. Putting an icepack on your aching head can help with a wicked hangover as well. If you don’t have an icepack, a package of frozen vegetables works too. Or just rinse a washcloth in cold water and apply it to your forehead.

Hangover First Aid: Time

Time is really the only cure for a hangover. Try to take it easy and deal with your symptoms until nature takes its course. If you have consumed a large measure of alcohol your hangover probably is severe and more time will need to elapse before you begin to feel better. The fewer drinks you consume — the less time it’ll take you to recover.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Hangover Cures : Drinks

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Hangover Cures: Drinks

Hangover Cures: Drinks

Hangovers are awful! Between the headache, parched mouth, nausea, and muscle aches, you may well be asking yourself why you had those extra 4 tequila shots the night before. While there are no actual cures for a hangover, besides time, there are things you can do to relieve some of the symptoms. Keep in mind that not all hangover “cures” work as well as others.

Hangover Cures: Drinks – Alcohol

“The hair of the dog that bit you”- This is probably the most well known cure for a hangover. It’s also the worst one unless you don’t have anything productive to do for the rest of the day. Drinking more alcohol won’t cure your hangover in the long run-it just gets you drunk again. Your hangover will most likely be worse when you finally feel it because you’re just adding fuel to the fire.

Hangover Cures: Drinks – Gatorade

This is one that actually does help. Gatorade and other sports drinks replenish the body’s electrolytes. Electrolytes are ions in the blood stream that regulate fluid flow across cell membranes. Dehydration is caused by an electrolyte imbalance in the body. The side effects of binge drinking alcohol like vomiting, diarrhea and increased urination can cause the body to rapidly lose electrolytes and become dehydrated. In extreme cases, this dehydration can lead to seizures and even death, which is why it is so important to keep hydrated while drinking.

Hangover Cures: Drinks: Ginger Ale

Ginger ale is a great hangover remedy because ginger treats nausea. The carbonation in ginger ale will also help settle your stomach. Keep in mind, however, that not all brands of ginger ale actually contain ginger, so check before you pick one or it won’t be nearly as effective.

Hangover Cures: Drinks – Peppermint or chamomile tea

These teas are natural antacids so they make good hangover home remedies. For extra relief, use honey instead of sugar to sweeten the tea. Honey contains fructose, which competes with the metabolism of alcohol. This helps a hangover, because the quick metabolism of alcohol is what causes many hangover symptoms.

Hangover Cures: Drinks – Mercy Soda

This product gained popularity when it was Gwyneth Paltrow told news reporters that she swears by it. Mercy soda is marketed as a hangover prevention product, not a hangover remedy. The best time to drink this hangover cure is while or shortly after drinking.  Makers of Mercy Soda even suggest that you mix it with your alcohol to make a cocktail. Mercy Soda is said to flush your system of acetaldehyde, the chemical that causes a hangover. It contains amino acids, antioxidants and vitamins.

Hangover Cures: Drinks: Coffee

Contrary to popular opinion, coffee won’t sober you up after you’ve been drinking. It can, however, help with the hangover. Especially if the hangover includes a pounding headache. Caffeine has been clinically shown to react against the chemical compounds of ethanol. Alcohol consumption causes a buildup of acetate, which is what produces a headache the next morning. Caffeine has been shown to reduce the amount of acetate in the system. For best results, take an anti-inflammatory like aspirin with your morning after cup of java.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.